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To date, many factors have been taken into account in research on older adults’ housing decisions, including health and social factors. However, not all potential factors have been identified, especially those related to the built environment and what it represents for older adults.

This is the Social Bite Village, in Granton, Edinburgh, the result of a sustained fundraising and awareness drive with the lofty aim of bringing an end to homelessness at the heart of its ethos.
The emphasis is on the establishment of a community, with project leaders Social Bite partnering with homeless charity Cyrenians.

The report, “Retiring into Poverty”, released by the National Older Women’s Housing and Homelessness Working Group, said systemic factors such as lower superannuation, unequal pay and forced time off to raise children were key factors of the increase.
The combination of women having a lower overall income and housing affordability in major cities was a cause of great instability.
Housing afforda

One of the most pressing challenges older Australians face is finding secure accommodation with suitable amenities. And as the numbers of older Australians grow, the pressure to provide housing that meets their needs is increasing. We may be facing a crisis of ageing homelessness in coming years.
Older Australians face the same risks of falling into homelessness as everyone else.

It is getting harder for older renters to find adequate, appropriate and secure housing. Older women – the focus of my work – are at particular risk. This is due to longer life expectancy, lower incomes across the life course, and less access to benefits like superannuation.

In the UK, some 14–17% of adults over 65 are lonely. Social isolation and the subjective experience of loneliness can increase the risk of poor health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, suicide, sleep problems and premature mortality. Cohousing is a form of grouped housing designed and managed by those who reside within it.

Until now, the majority of older people in Australia have achieved the goal of owning their own home outright. Hence, policymakers have typically shown little concern about the size and budget costs of rental housing assistance programs for seniors.

This Plan for Change proposes a series of initiatives to help older women to be able to live in homes that are safe, secure and affordable. It has been developed by a group of non-government agencies...